Harker crossed his arms as he watched the prairies outside the window of the limousine.
Mina was beside him, while Roland was in front of them focused on the papers he was reading. These papers were all the files he got about Victoria and her associates, along with other information on their whereabouts and operations.
It was too quiet, so Mina asked the question she had been meaning to ask. "So….. Victoria took Harker's mom and the other zombies?"
"Most likely." Roland answered without looking up. "It's too convenient that she would run away just after the hospital incident."
Harker nodded, his expression stern. "What I'm worried about is what she would do with them and the brains she took. Is she going to try to give them consciousness by giving them brains? How would she even make that work? And what does she want to gain?"
Mina pondered over this. "Maybe she wants it to be proof that humans can be immortal and never die. Then, she could be rich and have recognition. But…"
The boys asked at the same time. "But what?"
"The undead already existed a long time ago. Zombies, immortal cultivators, vampires, fairies and elves…. They already exist to have this 'eternal life', but people just don't know about them. Once humans also had the ability to do that, they might be able to reveal themselves and mingle freely with society because humans wouldn't have to fear them causing their deaths."
"So…. So I don't think it's such a bad thing if that happens." Mina smiled. "I could freely be a mermaid, and Harker would not have to worry about his family finding out who he was. Humans and monsters could co-exist again, like in the old days."
"But none of them would be as unkillable as this, right?" Roland said. "These zombies, as you told me, can regenerate at a fast rate no matter what damage you inflict. But they could still burn from fire in the end. All the other 'immortal' creatures would still have to be faced with impermanence."
"So?" Mina blinked. "At least they'll live longer and have less to worry about, like illnesses—"
"I think Roland's point was that since humans and monsters would have an equal footing, they might start a war. It would be a whole new paradigm shift. The modern world would have to re-adjust itself." Harker said.
"Let's say humans did have the ability to be invincible more than ever. If they were aware of the existence of other beings that posed a threat, and they know they're powerful enough to eradicate them with both science AND supernatural capabilities ...."
Roland's face darkened. "Monsters like you would be in danger more than ever. We're not like the old days, Mina. Back in the old days, we only cared about surviving by having food to eat and shelter over our heads."
"But now…. It's all about money. Even if you can prove that monsters and humans can co-exist peacefully, greedy humans would not choose that option and would rather use it to profit more. If even monsters can do it now like Mr. Xi and the one who sold you to them…. What more could immortal humans do?"
Mina's lips parted, and she was about to say something. But she closed her mouth, and shook her head.
"You're right. I got too optimistic since I only know good humans like you and Harker. But evil can come from anywhere." She said.
Harker looked out on the tall grasses and wildlands, wondering how much longer they'll get to Nebraska. How fitting that his father's birthplace would be the one that Victoria would escape to with his mother in tow.
"How much closer would you think the suspected headquarters would be?" He asked.
"Just a few miles. We only know the coordinates from the electromagnetic sensors. They must be underground." Roland told him.
"How are we going to find them? This area is pretty large. Maybe if we get within 50 meters, Mina and I can sense something. But miles away are just too vast."
As they pondered over what could be done, they suddenly heard a sound from the back of the limousine after they experienced a road hump.
"What was that?" Roland's eyes widened.
"Did a rock get stuck on the wheel? Or one of the tires busted?" Mina assumed.
Harker shook his head. "Doesn't sound like it. Now that I'm focusing on it, I feel some heat energy on the trunk. There's something living there."
Roland quickly went over to the intercom and told the driver to stop. They parked in the middle of the road to observe what was on the back of the car. They got out, and Harker and Mina were at the ready. Roland also took a gun with him just to be sure.
The bison chewed on the tall grass of the prairie, not minding the humans at all. They just did their business and watched them with bored eyes behind all that fur.
"I'll be the one to open it." Harker said. "You two stay back."
They did move away a little, but the two blondes didn't move that far. They still wanted to help him if something jumped out and attacked.
Harker took a deep breath, his hair elongating a bit….
And eventually opened the trunk with a shout. "Ahhhhhh!!!!"
The person inside also shouted. "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
Roland almost shot this person, but missed as Harker quickly pushed the gun away with his hair. Mina also almost clawed this person's face off, but Harker used the Succubus ability to move her hands away.
"What the fuck— Chloe!? What are you doing here!?"
His little sister sat up with a frown. "Trying to see Mom, of course. Why else would I be here?"
"But why!? It's too dangerous, Chloe—"
"You just expect me to stay put and pretend none of the things at the hospital ever happened? After that night, you just kept on hiding things from me and Dad. You lived on like normal as if that would convince me to think the whole thing was a dream."
"Because it's better if you do!" Harker said.
He considered using the hypnotizing effect that the Snake demon ability to make Chloe forget that night. But just like how he could not just use the Succubus ability on Mina to get her to have sex with her, he felt like invading Chloe's free will if he did that.
The two blondes didn't know what to say about this development. And it felt like a private conversation they shouldn't butt in on, so they kept quiet and only watched the Jones siblings argue awkwardly.
"It's better for me to be in the dark about what's happening to my own mother and brother?" Chloe countered. "You're doing the thing again."
"What thing?" Harker frowned.
Chloe gritted her teeth. "That thing where you would rather lie and pretend everything is fine, when it's not. You think we can't sense that, Harker? You'd rather bottle things up than talk about it to us…."
"When we're your family, and family is supposed to stick up for each other the most. It's alright to ask for help and be honest sometimes, you know."
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